Meet the Women of #WeAreWeCan: Britt Cascio
In our new blog series, meet the women behind our #WeAreWeCan campaign. We asked these brave and inspiring women to tell us about some of the challenges and struggles they've faced, and share their stories with us. Our hope is that by talking about our experiences as women, we'll recognize that we are not alone and we can help others who might be struggling with similar issues. WE ARE strong, and together WE CAN overcome anything.
For our #WeAreWeCan campaign, we sat down with Britt Cascio, age 33, to hear her story. Britt is a photographer and is the main bread winner for her young family. She struggles with the pressure to provide, the guilt of being a working mom, and the challenges of being self-employed. But through it all she manages to keep a smile on her face and a positive outlook. Below, read our conversation with Britt to learn more about her inspiring journey.
You told us about your experience as a self-employed young mom while raising six kids. What are some of your biggest struggles as a working mom providing for your family?
How have you found strength and balance as you've been shouldering the stress and pressure of being the breadwinner for your family? How do you handle the responsibility of it all?
Balance is a myth! At least that's how I see it. When you are giving more of yourself in one aspect of your life, other things may fall short. Prioritizing seems to be more realistic for my life. I know that I have a job to do, and thanks to my amazing husband's support I am able to make that happen. My husband, Bryan has been a huge part of our success. We both have our roles in our business and home life, and I feel so incredibly blessed that it has worked out like that for us for so many years! I know not everyone’s situation is like this, but it’s worked out for us so far. Between him and our kids, I feel like I can take on what I need to provide for our family.
What do you hope you are teaching your children as they witness you working hard to take care of your family?
I hope to teach my children that working towards your dreams will always be worth all the work you put into it! Owning your business comes with it’s own set of risks and unknowns. It’s stressful and hard. It’s a lot of worrying about how you’ll make ends meet sometimes. But with faith and a positive attitude, you can tackle anything that comes your way! I want my children to know that I’ll always support what they choose to do with their life!
What advice would you offer other working moms in a similar situation?
My advice for other working women/moms is to give yourself grace. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep up with so much in my life. The comparison game is hard to avoid, but it can make such a difference in how you feel about yourself. I try to focus on what I can do and what I’m doing right with work and family!
Who is a woman that inspires you and why?
When I think of one woman that truly inspires me, I don’t hesitate at all: my best friend, Brittany Dixon. She is currently fighting stage 4 melanoma and amazes me every day with what she is able to get through. For almost seven years now, cancer has been the bad word we both hated. It turned her world upside down and continues to do so on a daily basis. But despite every side effect, every scary scan, she still finds something to laugh about. She still sees every day she’s here with her family as a blessing! She is the most incredible mom! No matter how crappy she feels, she is there front row for her kids. Her strength, her humor, and her fighting spirit are something I feel the world needs more of. I consider myself the luckiest to have her in my life and I know I’m not alone in that feeling!
If you could go back, what advice would you give your teenage self?
If I could go back and have a chat with my teenage self, I would tell her that she’s stronger than she knows. You’ll go through so much at such a young age, but each challenge and trial will be in preparation for the life you are working towards. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep your glass-half-full outlook in life. The dreams you had as a young girl are coming if you are ready to work for them!
What do you love about your Fawn Design bags?
I have a special place in my heart for Fawn Design! I have known Jenny for a long time (I was her wedding photographer) and was thrilled to see this company at its early stages when she asked me to photograph her bag for her Kickstarter campaign! Seeing everyone love her and her brand as much as I did just made my heart burst. Now it has grown and become such an iconic brand, and that’s such an exciting thing! These bags are incredible! I have used mine for multiple kids, business trips, and everyday life. They work for everything! I still have every Fawn bag I’ve ever owned, including one of the last hand-sewn ones from Jenny that was used in the Kickstarter campaign. They hold so many wonderful memories for me that I couldn’t ever part with them!
Photos: Lizzyography